India-China ties have made steady progress: PM Modi after meeting China FM

"I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on sidelines of SCO Summit. Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional," said PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India-China relations have made steady progress, guided by respect for each other's interests and sensitivities. The prime minister made the comments in a post of X following his meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a two-day visit to India.

 

PM Modi also expressed confidence that constructive relations between India and China will contribute to regional prosperity. "Glad to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress. I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity," he said on social media site X.

 

The Chinese foreign minister extended an invitation to the Prime Minister for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 1, 2025.

 

The Prime Minister thanked President Xi for the invitation and confirmed his acceptance. He expressed support for China’s presidency of the Summit and said he looked forward to meeting President Xi in Tianjin. The visit will be the Indian prime minister's first visit to China in seven years.

 

The PM stressed the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border and reaffirmed India’s commitment to a reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement on the boundary issue.

 

The Prime Minister also noted the positive progress in bilateral relations since his meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, highlighting the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage.

 

Jaishankar-Wang meet

 

Foreign Minister Wang on Monday met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who said that “the basis for any positive momentum” in India-China ties “is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.”

 

“Having seen a difficult period in our relationship,” Jaishankar told Wang, “our two nations now seek to move ahead”. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides, he said.

 

During the meeting with EAM, Wang discussed economic and trade matters, including the resumption of border trade and direct flights, while New Delhi once again raised concerns over Beijing’s restrictions on rare earth mineral exports.

 

The tentative thaw between the two neighbours comes in the backdrop of a relentless trade offensive by US President Donald Trump against friend and foe alike. He has been particularly hard on India, slapping a 50 per cent tariff rate - of which half is a penalty for its purchase of Russian crude oil, which he alleged was helping Russia finance its war with Ukraine. However, Trump has extended the deadline for reciprocal tariffs against China to take hold, and is yet to impose additional tariffs despite the fact that China continues to be the world's largest buyer of Russian crude.